Which real TV writer inspired the name Carlton?

Which real TV writer inspired the name Carlton? Carlton Cuse inspired the name of Carlton Banks.

Series creator Andy Borowitz named the character after Carlton Cuse, a Harvard classmate. Cuse later became a prominent television writer and producer, best known for co-creating and showrunning Lost with Damon Lindelof.

Carlton Banks was designed as Will's polished, highly academic opposite. He was loosely based on members of Quincy Jones's family, but the character's first name specifically came from Borowitz's friend. That distinction is easy to miss because the character's personality and family background came from several sources.

Alfonso Ribeiro played Carlton throughout the original series, which aired from 1990 to 1996. Carlton's preppy manner, political conservatism and comic rivalry with Will became central to the show's identity, while Ribeiro's signature dance later became one of television's most recognizable sitcom bits.